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TWIWBL 69.2 Spotlight on the Baltimore Black Sox

On December 3, 2024

What a collapse. From Whirled Series champions to last place in their division, Baltimore is finding out what happens when your pitching staff goes from being among the best in the league to something very far away from that.

Baltimore inherits players from the St. Louis Browns and the Baltimore Orioles, as well as NeL players closely aligned with either the Baltimore Black Sox or the Baltimore Elite Giants.

HOME PAGE | ROSTER | POSITIONAL STRENGTH | LEADERS

Baltimore is floundering in last place, 17.5 games behind the Black Yankees, with the worst record in the league. It’s just pretty miserable.

THE OFFENSE

The offense hasn’t been great, but it’s not really been the dominant issue for the Black Sox.

#What’s Going Right

Frank Robinson continues to argue for a spot among the truly elite of the league, slashing 300/389/623. But he doesn’t lead the Black Sox in HRs or RBIs: that falls to Gavvy Cravath, who is coming through as the largest free agent acquisition of the off season. Cravath has 21 homeruns and 54 RBIs, shading ahead of Robinson in both counts.

Cal Ripken, Jr. is tearing the cover off the ball in about 20 games, arguing for a lot more playing time.

Bryce Harper and Dan McGann continue to be well above-average with only a low BA for Harper and not enough power for McGann keeping them out of superstar status.

Miller Huggins has been surprisingly good, getting on base at a near .400 clip.

#What’s Not Going Right

Larry Gardner, excellent last year, has almost played himself out of a job at this point, struggling to get his OPS over .550. His lack of productivity and Bobby Wallace‘s injury are what opened the door for Ripken, Jr. and Huggins.

Baby Doll Jacobson has been quite average.

Paul Blair cannot hit, but we knew that, and he does continue to play stellar defense in CF.

THE PITCHING

The rotation is in total disarray and the bullpen isn’t much better.

#What’s Going Right

Um.

Ned Garvin is on the mound again.

Justin Hampson has been effective as an option versus lefties from the bullpen.

Mike Mussina has pitched well, far better than his 3-4, 5.11 numbers would indicate.

#What’s Not Going Right

Everything else.

Let’s start with the staff ace, Dennis Martínez, who has a decent 7-4 record, but has been hit pretty hard, with a 5.19 ERA and poor peripherals.

The rest of the starters have been so bad that the Black Sox refuse to name a #4 and #5 starter. Nobody else has an ERA under 5.00, and while Connie Johnson and Bill Byrd have decent analytics, the results have been relatively miserable.

Joe Beggs has 11 saves, but has also started 2 games, and looks betwixt and between no matter what his role.

THE FARM SYSTEM

TOP PROSPECTS | MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM

Not great.

Ripken, Jr. started the year in the minors, and he and Eddie Murray are clearly the future of the org. But there isn’t much beyond them–Bruce Bochte and Steve Brodie have some talent in the OF; Gunnar Henderson, Mark Belanger, and Asdrúbal Cabrera could offer some help on the IF; and … who knows, maybe Joe Dobson, maybe Jack Kramer on the mound?

WHAT’S NEEDED

A miracle. I mean, just not finishing in the basement would be something at this point. My guess is this team is a seller at the deadline, which may mean McGann moves on, clearing room for Murray.

Storylines to Watch

Key Questions from Spring Training

Not many: the twelve arms are–pending injury or spring training collapse–pretty much set, as is most of the lineup with only a single roster spot currently available, which would be filled by a reserve 2B? Ah, such arrogance …

FEATURED SERIES

Baltimore closes the week with 3 games at Detroit, which will be our focus.

Projected Starters

Baltimore starter listed first.

Dennis Martínez (7-4, 5.19) @ Johnny Marcum (5-2, 3.78)
Ned Garvin (3-3, 5.33) @ Justin Verlander (2-8, 66.06)
Mike Mussina (4-4, 5.31) @ Charlie Root (6-6, 4.89)

Game One

Dennis Martínez‘ struggles have been a major issue for Baltimore so far this year. El Presidente won 14 games with an ERA under 4.00 in their championship run. This year, his ERA is about a run-and-a-half higher, although he does have 7 wins.

Martínez struggled here, giving up 5 runs in 5 innings on 4 homers. But Cal Ripken Jr., Curt Blefary, and Manny Machado all hit one out for Baltimore, and both starters left after 5 innings, with the Black Sox up, 6-5.

The surprising Juan Beníquez drove in the go-ahead run for Detroit in the bottom of the 7th, setting up a great situation for the Wolverines, with Chad Bradford pitching the 8th and Mike Henneman the 9th. Bradford did his job, but Henneman gave up a pinch-hit homer to Ken Singleton giving Baltimore an edge that Joe Beggs–not terribly dependable so far this season–was able to preserve.

Both Ripken and Detroit’s Ed Bailey had 2 homers on the day.

BAL 8 (Sain 1-2; Beggs 12 Sv; Hampson 7 H; Dickey 1 Bsv) @ DET 7 (Henneman 4-2, 3 B Sv; Bradford 6 H)
HRs: BAL – Ripken, Jr. 2 (10), Machado (24), Blefary (15), Singleton (9); DET – C. Davis (18), E. Bailey 2 (16), Gamble (11).
Box Score

Detroit got some bad news after the game, with Henneman out for just over a month. Joakim Soria was recalled from AAA.

Game Two

With Ned Garvin not yet rested, the Black Sox turned to Jim Palmer for the matchup against Detroit’s struggling Justin Verlander.

Detroit took the lead in the bottom of the first, but both Palmer and Verlander were doing well early. Verlander gave up a lot of base runners, but it took a an RBI single from Miller Huggins for Baltimore to go ahead, 2-1, in the top of the 4th.

A solo shot from Oscar Gamble tied the game, but the Black Sox greeted Verlander’s replacement, Jack Wilson, for 4 runs, led by Frank Robinson‘s bases-clearing, 2-out double.

A double from Ty Cobb in the bottom of the 8th finally chased Palmer, who made a decent argument for a return to Baltimore’s rotation. His numbers won’t reflect that, as John Wetteland came in, walked a batter, and gave up a grand slam to Gamble followed by a solo shot to Chili Davis, tying the game.

More bad news for Detroit’s staff, as Billy Hoeft will miss a couple weeks.

With Chad Bradford and Sean Marshall each doing their jobs, we head into extra innings in this one.

In the 10th, Cal Ripken Jr. singled and was replaced by Baby Doll Jacobson, who stole second. Bobby Wallace delivered an RBI single for the lead, and Baltimore turned the game over to Joe Beggs. Ty Cobb, Hank Greenberg, and Gamble? No problem, and Baltimore holds on for the victory.

Most importantly, Marshall looked like his old self with 1.2 scoreless innings.

Gamble ended with 5 RBIs and Bobby Wallace had 3 hits on the day.

BAL 8 (Marshall 1-0; Beggs 13 Sv) @ DET 7 (Bradford 2-4) [10 Innings]
HRs: BAL – none; DET – Gamble 2 (13), C. Davis (19).
Box Score

Hoeft hit the DL, and Detroit recalled Mike Griffin.

Game Three

Last year, Baltimore’s Ned Garvin and Detroit’s Charlie Root were among the best hurlers in the league. This season … not so much. But both of shown flashes of their past ability, so we’ll see if Garvin can nail down the sweep or Root can salvage a game for the Wolverines.

Gavvy Cravath put Baltimore in front 1-0 in the 2nd with his 22nd homer of the season. That wasn’t terribly surprising, but Paul Blair‘s 8th of the year, a 3 run shot, was, giving the Black Sox a 4-0 edge.

Garvin was unable to hold it, though, as a series of walks and singles brought Detroit back to within 1 at 4-3. Garvin loaded the bases in the 3rd as well, including his 6th walk of the game. For the second time on the day, George Davis came through with an RBI single, this time tying the game and chasing Garvin, who was replaced by Connie Johnson, who promptly walked in a run, putting Detroit up, 5-4.

Ty Cobb and Hank Greenberg hit back-to-back shots in the 4th, but Frank Robinson and Bryce Harper tied it up in the 5th with longballs of their own. That, and a short rain delay, chased Root.

In the top of the 7th, Cravath sent out his 2nd of the game, this one with the bases loaded. RBI’s from Blair and Miller Huggins made it 13-7. In this contest, it just might be enough …

Cravath hit his 3rd of the day and Justin Hampson and Johnny Sain were able to close it out. Cravath finished with 4 runs scored and 6 RBIs for Baltimore while Kaline was 4 for 4 for Detroit.

BAL 14 (Byrd 4-3) @ DET 7 (Bechtel 1-2)
HRs: BAL – Cravath 3 (24), Blair (8), Robinson (22), Harper (15); DET – Greenberg (26), Cobb (23).
Box Score

The game was a little rough, as Baltimore’s Bobby Wallace and Detroit’s Mike Griffin (on his WBL debut) had to leave via injury. Wallace was sent to the DL with light hitting IF Dave Anderson being recalled.

This gives Baltimore a 5 game winning streak, during which they are giving up over 7 runs a contest. So, yeah, it’s really been all about the offense. But if they can get some pitching, they can at least claw their way out of the basement. After that, who knows?

TWIWBL 63.3: Bill James Division

By mknn

On July 12, 2024

In TWIWBL

#Baltimore Black Sox

Baby Doll Jacobson was activated from the IL, with Cal Ripken, Jr. shuttling back to AAA. Connie Johnson‘s recent hot streak keeps him in the rotation, but Jim Palmer moves to the bullpen with the surprising John Tudor taking Palmer’s spot. Johnson is still on the edge, sitting with an ERA over 7.00 at the moment, but the real question for Baltimore is how Ned Garvin‘s return impacts their overall performance.

Don Bessent was sent to AAA to get his stuff back together, with Justin Hampson being recalled.

Garvin’s first start was a little rough, but it got the job done as the Black Sox beat Miami 4-3. Garvin gave up 8 hits and 3 runs in 6+ innings, but Gregg Olsen, Buddy Groom, and Joe Beggs allowed only 1 hit in relief with Beggs notching his 5th save of the season.

The Black Sox imploded, given up an 8-1 lead over the final 2 innings of a 9-8 loss to Miami. This wasted 2 homeruns from Manny Machado and a grand slam by Gavvy Cravath and, perhaps more concerning, saw Beggs depart with an undiagnosed injury.

#Cleveland Spiders

Mel Harder and Yordano Ventura were named to the Spiders’ rotation, with Bob Feller retaining his spot in the bullpen for now.

Lance Berkman went deep twice, leading the Spiders to a 9-4 victory over the Black Yankees. With 14 homeruns, Berkman now leads the WBL in dingers.

Tris Speaker had 4 hits (including 2 homeruns), scored 5 runs, and drove in 4 and Berkman added 5 ribbies as Cleveland topped Memphis in a roller coaster affair. The Spiders had 17 hits in the 17-11 win, which went to Firpo Marberry, who improved to 2-0.

Berkman continued to absolutely mash the ball with 3 homeruns in a 12-4 win over Memphis, giving him 17 on the year, and the league lead. Chuck Knoblauch had 5 hits, scored 5 runs, and drove in 3 with a WBL record 4 doubles.

Ron Blomberg took over for Berkman, homering twice in a 7-5 win over Memphis.

#Detroit Wolverines

Vernon Wilshere was sent to AAA, with Buddy Napier recalled from his rehab assignment.

Al Kaline went deep twice as the Wolverines downed Chicago, 8-6.

Staff ace Hal Newhouser will miss about 6 weeks with elbow discomfort with George Bechtel being recalled once again. Things got worse as Johnny Marcum was also sent to the DL, expected to miss at least 2 starts. Jack Wilson was recalled from AAA.

#Memphis Red Sox

Dean Chance was recalled from his injury rehab, with Sadie McMahon heading back to AAA. The Red Sox have still refused to name a 5th starter to their rotation.

It was an unearned run, but it was all they needed, as Travis Shaw–pinch running for Wade Boggs–scored on a single to CF by Ted Williams in the bottom of the 9th, giving the Red Sox a 1-0 win over Portland. Len Barker, David Bush, and Andrew Miller combined to allow the Sea Dogs only 5 hits, with Miller evening his record at 2-2.

#New York Black Yankees

Eric Davis–11 homeruns, 24 RBI, 30 R–will miss 5-6 weeks with a torn abdominal muscle. The Black Yankees recalled veteran OF Hank Bauer to take his place on the roster, with Héctor López expected to get more time (some in CF, some in LF with Babe Ruth shifting to CF) in Davis’ absence.

The Black Yankees struck out 16 Angels in a 4-2 victory, although a poor outing by Aroldis Chapman eliminated the chance at a combined shutout. Ron Guidry improved to 5-1, allowing 2 hits in 7 plus innings while fanning 13, and Ruth launched his league leading (for the moment) 17th homerun of the year.

TWIWBL 61.2: Bill James Division

By mknn

On June 11, 2024

In TWIWBL

#Baltimore Black Sox

Ned Garvin should start a rehab assignment some time this week, which is great news for a struggling Baltimore staff. The team won’t make any changes for now, but both Johnny Sain and the surprising John Tudor are pushing to replace Connie Johnson and/or Jim Palmer in the rotation. Garvin did indeed begin a stint at AAA, with many in the organization paying very close attention.

Frank Robinson might be emerging from his early season doldrums, going 3 for 4 with 2 homeruns in a 4-1 victory over Los Angeles. Dennis Martínez continued his strong start, improving to 3-1 with 7 strong innings, allowing 6 hits and a single run for the Black Sox, with Joe Beggs picking up his 2nd save of the year.

Baby Doll Jacobsen hit the DL with a sprained knee, with Cal Ripken, Jr. being recalled.

Gavvy Cravath had 2 hits, including a walkoff grand slam as the Black Sox came back to win 8-6 over the Black Yankees.

#Cleveland Spiders

Yordano Ventura was pressed into emergency duty as a starter and performed magnificently, allowing 4 hits and 2 runs in 7 innings, but he was not involved in the decision as the Spiders came from behind for a 3-2 win over Miami. Lance Berkman went deep twice for Cleveland.

#Detroit Wolverines

The Wolverines put on the largest beatdown of the WBL season so far, a 23 to 5 thrashing of Portland. Charlie Gehringer drove in 7 and Bob Bailey 4 while Bailey, Billy Nash, and Ed Bailey each scored 4 times. Bob Bailey and Juan Beníquez each had 3 hits for Detroit. Ed Bailey walked 4 times and Gehringer, Bob Bailey, and Hank Greenberg each went deep. Gene Conley wasn’t great, but he didn’t have to be as he improved to 1-2 with an 8 inning effort.

Ty Cobb went deep twice as the Wolverines pulverized Memphis, 15-3. Gehringer and Chili Davis had 3 hits each, with Cobb and Davis driving in 3 runs as part of a 16 hit attack. Charlie Root threw a strong 8 innings, earning his first win of the year.

Ernie Lombardi and Greenberg had 3 hits each (with Greenberg smacking 3 doubles), and Bob Bailey and Al Kaline had 3 RBI’s each as Detroit trounced the Red Sox, 13-6.

#Memphis Red Sox

The Red Sox clearly need to find more playing time for Travis Shaw and David Ortiz, who combined to go 5 for 8 with 7 RBIs and 3 homeruns (2 for Shaw) in a 10-7 win over the Black Yankees. Memphis roared out to a 10-1 lead then had to survive a bad outing from Andrew Miller for the win, which went to David Bush who threw 4 plus hitless innings in relief of an injured Shane Bieber.

#New York Black Yankees

After a rough start, Thurman Munson is starting to come around. The Black Yankee backstop had 3 hits, including 2 homeruns, and drove in 5 as New York topped Memphis, 9-2. Andy Pettitte had a solid outing, improving to 2-1.

Lou Gehrig went deep twice, leading the Black Yankees to a 4-3 win over Baltimore. Jack Scott improved to 2-2 with a solid outing and Goose Gossage picked up his 2nd save of the season.

Season Review: Baltimore Black Sox

By mknn

On January 4, 2024

In Season Reviews, Team News

91 - 63, .590 pct.
1st in Cum Posey Division.
WHIRLED CHAMPIONS!

Overall

Best record in the league for most of the season, plus a thrilling postseason that included two Game 7 victories. It was a great year for the Black Sox who were led by a dominant pitching staff and an especially strong top half of the lineup.

The watchword of the year for Baltimore was resiliency. They lost two all stars to long term injury, including Ned Garvin, who was at the time the most dominant pitcher in the league. But they kept rolling, bringing in some talent and developing some others to not miss a beat. It applied to non-injury situations as well: Baby Doll Jacobson stepped right into the WBL to provide OF depth when needed and the bullpen, while in flux all year, was never less than excellent.

What Went Right

Frank Robinson established himself as a budding superstar, Curt Blefary far exceeded expectations and the trio of Dan McGann, Bobby Wallace, and Larry Gardner were constant thorns in the side of opposing pitchers.

Nobody really struggled. Paul Blair doesn’t hit a lot in CF, but he has some pop and provides elite defense; Jacobson was a revelation in about a half-season of work, making the competition between him, Bryce Harper, and Ken Singleton quite fierce for the final OF spots, especially given that the Black Sox signed the best free agent on the market in Gavvy Cravath.

Garvin, Bill Byrd, Dennis Martínez, Connie Johnson (brought over via trade) and, increasingly as the season wore on, Mike Mussina, combined for as good a rotation as found in the league. That left Jim Palmer and Johnny Sain vying for time from the bullpen: this is a deep staff, and looks to be so for at least a few years.

The duo of Don Bessent and Bob Miller handed closing duties well for the first half of the season, and when they faltered, Joe Beggs, John Wetteland, and Buddy Groom stepped in and performed even better. Groom especially was virtually unhittable.

ALL STARS
P Bill Byrd; C Curt Blefary; P Ned Garvin; RP Sean Marshall; P Dennis Martínez; 1B Dan McGann; SS Bobby Wallace

What Went Wrong

3B was an issue until the arrival of Manny Machado, with none of those given a chance–most notably Brooks Robinson and Harlond Clift, but also Cal Ripken, Jr–doing anything to lay a claim on the hot corner.

I mean … that’s really about it. That and the injuries, which they overcame. I guess that’s how you win a championship.

Transactions

March

P Rube Foster to Indianapolis for 2B Miller Huggins & OF Willie Montañez

Given the overall pitching depth, a nice move.

June

P Mike Morgan, 1B Richie Sexson, C Chris Hoiles & IF Joe Dugan to Miami for IF Manny Machado

Machado is likely to have the best career of this group, so it’s a win.

P Willie Sudhoff, OF Alex Johnson & 4th Round Pick to Memphis for P Joe Beggs

Beggs was great, so this worked out well.

July

OF Merv Rettenmund, P Gene Garber & 2nd Round Pick to Kansas City for P Connie Johnson & 5th Round Pick {Stan Spence}

A clear win.

Looking Forward

SP

Very solid in the immediate, and the long-term foursome of Dennis Martínez, Bill Byrd, Mike Mussina, and Jim Palmer looks formidable. Could use some more depth here, but who couldn’t? Ned Garvin‘s recovery from injury will be key.

RP

Very strong, although there is a chance of an overall regression, which could be concerning.

C

Blefary looks solid, but there is very little behind him if he falters.

1B

Dan McGann was great this year, but young Eddie Murray is pushing from the wings.

2B

Larry Gardner has this locked down for now, although Miller Huggins may argue for some time as well.

3B

It would be nice if Manny Machado, Brooks Robinson, or even Harlond Clift would just perform well enough to settle this spot.

SS

Bobby Wallace for now, but Cal Ripken, Jr. will probably take over at some point.

LF

Frank Robinson.

CF

This is Paul Blair‘s spot, which means there will always be questions about upgrading for better offense. For now, Baby Doll Jacobson and Bryce Harper are likely to see at least occasional time here.

RF

Gavvy Cravath steps right in here, but longer term this is going to be a battle between Jacobson and Ken Singleton.

The Rookie Draft

Rounds 1-4

The Black Sox didn’t have a pick until the final selection of the 3rd round, so this year’s draft is really more about picking up talent where they can than anything else. They’ll start stocking their system with 24 year old OF Topsy Hartsel, as the Black Sox know the worth of a hitter that can draw a walk.

Rounds 5-8

Look for a focus on 3B, OF, and pitching in these rounds, beginning with OF Stan Spence who was added with the 3rd pick of the 5th round. With the final pick of that round, Baltimore added franchise selection Steve Brodie. In the 6th they picked up OF Bruce Bochte and in the 7th P Joe Dobson with their final franchise exception.

IF Gunnar Henderson has shown some upside, making him their 8th round pick.

Rounds 9-12

P Jack Kramer; OF Homer Smoot; P Allen Sothoron; P Jeff Ballard.

Baltimore was unable to reach agreement with 11th round pick, P Allen Sothoron with no compensation.

TWIWBL 50.5: THE WHIRLED SERIES! Detroit Wolverines v Baltimore Black Sox, Game V – October 8th

By mknn

On October 17, 2023

In 2000 Playoffs, 2000 Whirled Series, Game Recaps, TWIWBL

A nice recovery by Baltimore means we are, essentially, in a best-of-3 situation.

#Baltimore Black Sox v Detroit Wolverines, Game 5

We see a rematch from the opening game of the series: Hal Newhouser for Detroit and Dennis Martínez for Baltimore. The Black Sox, of course, are hoping for a different performance from El Presidente, while the Wolverines would be thrilled to see Newhouser continue his playoff dominance.

Newhouser cracked first, allowing a three run homerun to Dan McGann in the top of the 4th. Ty Cobb got one back in the bottom of the inning, but that’s where the score stayed.

Newhouser lasted 6 innings. His replacement, Chad Bradford was not as effective, giving up a leadoff single to Baby Doll Jacobson and then back to back 2 out doubles to Paul Blair and Bobby Wallace. That made the score 5-1, Baltimore heading to the bottom of the 7th.

A leadoff double from Hank Greenberg chased Martínez in favor of John Wetteland who promptly launched a 2 run homerun making it 5-3. Cobb started off the bottom of the 9th with a hard grounder to short that Wallace mishandled for an error, bringing the tying run to the plate. Cobb made it to third, but no further as Buddy Groom earned the save and put the Black Sox within one win of the championship.

BAL 5 (Martínez 2-1; Groom 5 Sv; Beggs 3 H) @ DET 3 (Newhouser 3-1)
HRs: BAL – McGann (5); DET – Cobb (1).
Box Score

TWIWBL 50.4: THE WHIRLED SERIES! Detroit Wolverines v Baltimore Black Sox, Game IV – October 7th

By mknn

On October 16, 2023

In 2000 Playoffs, 2000 Whirled Series, Game Recaps, TWIWBL

This is such a critical game: either Detroit takes a commanding 3-1 lead, or Baltimore roars back to setup a best two out of three finish.

#Detroit Wolverines v Baltimore Black Sox, Game IV

Detroit will ask red-hot lefty Hank Aguirre to cement their lead in the series while Baltimore will counter with Connie Johnson. With Ed Bailey struggling a little, Detroit moves Bill Carrigan behind the plate, while Baltimore’s Bryce Harper gets his usual rest facing a lefty with Baby Doll Jacobsen taking his place in rightfield.

Detroit opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when Hank Greenberg doubled home Bob Bailey. But Jacobsen repaid his manager’s faith in him, driving home two with a triple in the top of the second. Jacobsen would trot home on a long fly ball to center by Manny Machado, making it 3-1 Baltimore.

Aguirre struggled, and a two-out hit by Dan McGann in the third chased him from the game with Mickey Lolich being summoned from the bullpen for a potentially long relief outing.

Bob Bailey cut Baltimore’s lead in half in the 3rd with his fifth homerun of the postseason, making it 4-2, and then Carrigan took Johnson deep in the 5th, cutting it to 4-3. Johnson seemed shook, walking the next three batters. That brought in Mike Mussina to face Ty Cobb with the bases loaded and no outs. Mussina answered emphatically, striking out Cobb, getting Greenberg to pop out, and retiring Oscar Gamble on a lazy fly to left.

Baltimore added to their lead in the 7th on consecutive doubles by Bobby Wallace and Larry Gardner and an RBI single from Ken Singleton.

That meant we headed eventually to the bottom of the 9th with the Black Sox ahead, 6-3. With one out, Al Kaline singled and Carrigan followed with a double, bringing the tying run to the plate in the form of pinch-hitter Geoff Jenkins. Jenkins flew out, Tony Phillips grounded out, and that was that: the Whirled Series was now tied at 2 games apiece.

Both Lolich and Mussina were excellent in relief, with each pitching 3 innings without allowing a hit.

BAL 6 (Mussina 1-2; Beggs 2 Sv; Groom 2 H) @ DET 3 (Aguirre 1-2)
HRs: BAL – none; DET – B. Bailey (5); Carrigan (1).
Box Score

TWIWBL 50.0: THE WHIRLED SERIES, Preview Edition

By mknn

On October 9, 2023

In 2000 Playoffs, 2000 Whirled Series, Series Previews, TWIWBL

We have our matchup for the very first WHIRLED SERIES, the Detroit Wolverines against the Baltimore Black Sox. This was the matchup the numbers wanted from the beginning: Baltimore had the best record in the league during the regular season, finishing with 91 wins and a .591 winning percentage, but Detroit was right behind them with 89 wins and a .578 percentage.

As you would expect, both teams were solid all around, but the general theme is that the Black Sox rode a superior pitching staff while the Wolverines do a little more offensively.

Today we’ll do things a little differently, comparing the teams position by position as we get ready for the fall classic.

#Starting Pitching

The Wolverines starters have been excellent, led by Hal Newhouser. Their rotation has been transformed since opening day, with Gene Conley joining the staff from the bullpen and Charlie Root being obtained via midseason trade. Behind those three, Justin Verlander and lefty Hank Aguirre are most likely to get starts, with the struggling Johnny Marcum being moved to the bullpen.

Some questions have emerged during the postseason for Baltimore’s rotation. During the regular season, the trio of Bill Byrd, Dennis Martínez, and Connie Johnson (a mid-season acquisition) were spectacular, but in the postseason, only Martínez has really lived up to his billing, with Byrd alternating dominant starts with being hit pretty hard. Behind them, there is a bit of a logjam: Mike Mussina is struggling, as is Jim Palmer, so if a 4th starter is needed, look for Johnny Sain to get the opportunity.

Edge: I’ve got to go with Baltimore, with an expectation that their top three bounce back to their level of performance during the regular season. But Newhouser has been the most dominant pitcher left in the postseason, which can always count for something.

#Relief Pitching

This gets interesting. Baltimore’s bullpen has suffered injuries all year, and has just kept rolling along. Ned Garvin was here before spending a few weeks as the best starter in the league, before getting injured. Don Bessent and Bob Miller were co-closers for a time, before getting injured. Sean Marshall was among the most dominant bullpen arms in the league, before getting injured. Sense a theme?

Now, midseason acquisition Joe Beggs and Buddy Groom form the back end. Groom has been especially dominant, with a 1.96 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP over 51 games. John Wetteland has been excellent since being recalled from the minors, and Bessent and Miller join him in handling the middle innnings.

For the Wolverines, the bullpen has been a bit of an oddity. Mike Henneman ended the season tied for the season league in saves, but he certainly had his struggles, exemplified by his 4.60 ERA and 6 blown saves. John Hiller and Buddy Napier were excellent getting the ball to Henneman, but Hiller is out injured, meaning Detroit will be leaning heavily on Matt Anderson and Chad Bradford, both of whom were solid in the regular season. Either Aguirre or Mickey Lolich may be called on for key outs against lefties in Hiller’s absence. Finally, there is Verlander, who was on the verge of moving into the rotation all season, but never quite made it. He is the most reliable option in the early or middle innings, if needed.

Edge: Solidly in favor of Baltimore. That said, Verlander, Henneman, Napier, and Anderson have combined to allow 3 runs in 17 innings this postseason, so the gap may be narrower than it appears from the regular season performances.

#C

In the regular season, Detroit split its duties behind the plate between Bill Carrigan, Ed Bailey, and Ernie Lombardi with Carrigan and Bailey in a rough platoon until Lombardi came over from Indianapolis. Bailey is one of the hottest hitters around these days, so look for him to get most of the starts, but Carrigan was the best of them in the regular season, slashing 316/369/477.

Curt Blefary had a spectacular year for Baltimore, with a 280/392/549 slash line and 29 homeruns. He has struggled mightily in the postseason, but showed signs of coming out of it against Portland.

Edge: Even with Detroit’s far greater depth, you have to give the edge here to Baltimore and Blefary.

#1B

Baltimore’s Dan McGann may be 37, but sure plays like he has a lot left in the tank, racking up a 282/388/445 slash line for the Black Sox.

It’s all about Hank Greenberg for Detroit, one of the Wolverines’ two elite players. Greenberg finished the regular season at 317/374/595 with 31 homeruns and 113 RBI’s.

Edge: McGann had a great year. Greenberg is in the second tier of the MVP conversation. Edge, Detroit.

#2B

Detroit is thrilled to have their 38 year old sparkplug, Tony Phillips, back from injury. Phillips is a nuisance at the top of the batting order, with an OBP just shy of .400. He is not very good defensively, as Sparky Adams will often replace him late in the game, earning him the nickname The Old Man’s Glove.

Larry Gardner‘s 318/393/471 slash line is fantastic for anywhere, let alone a middle infielder. Gardner looks like he is fully recovered from a chest contusion suffered in the first round of the playoffs.

Edge: Baltimore.

#SS

Bobby Wallace is one of the better offensive shortstops in the WBL, slashing 302/396/418, drawing lots of walks and hitting 40 doubles in the regular season. He’s not bad defensively.

Detroit’s George Davis is a whiz defensively, and his .662 OPS, while well under league average, isn’t awful for a middle infielder.

Edge: Baltimore, although Davis’ defense does close the gap a bit.

#3B

When Bob Bailey was injured, Olmedo Sáenz filled in admirably, earning a spot on the playoff roster over Jimmy Collins, by far the better fielder. But he was no replacement for Bailey, who slashed 277/364/462 in the regular season. Sáenz remains a threat off the bench.

Manny Machado hit better for Baltimore than he did for Miami at the start of the year, but is still seen as a bit of a disappointment overall, with a .729 OPS for the year. Brooks Robinson hasn’t shown anything offensively, but is a whiz defensively, providing essentially the same role at 3B as Adams does for Detroit at 2B, but without the cool nickname.

Edge: Detroit

#LF

Frank Robinson is the most feared hitter on the Black Sox, with 37 homeruns, 111 RBIs, and a 302/383/539 slash line. Truly elite.

For Detroit, this is usually the provenance of Oscar Gamble, whose 28 homeruns were second on the team. Gamble was the emotional heart of the Wolverines, and should stay out there despite some late season struggles. Gamble is the best fielder of the group here.

Edge: I love Gamble, too, but the edge here goes clearly to Baltimore.

#CF

Detroit’s Chili Davis is fairly significantly under appreciated, both in Detroit and across the WBL. But Davis is a solid performer out there, slashing 273/328/443 while playing solid defense. The Wolverines are a bit thin here, with Cobb the presumed backup should Davis go down.

Paul Blair could barely make contact for the first third of the season. The fact that he got his OPS to .700 is a strong accomplishment, and, combined with his elite level defense, makes Blair a solid contributor for Baltimore. Baby Doll Jacobsen, who has a fair bit of pop, is the usual reserve here, although Harper can slide over as well.

Edge: Detroit

#RF

The Black Sox stuck with Bryce Harper through his early season struggles, and it paid off as the nineteen year old settled into the league. He has a great eye, a bit of power, and ended up slashing 259/360/403 on the year.

The other legitimate elite player for the Wolverines is the batting champion, Ty Cobb, whose 352/391/557 slash line and 52 SB’s combine to form a truly fantastic offensive player.

Edge: Detroit.

#DH

Al Klaine has 34 games under his belt at the WBL, and has slashed 301/374/573 in that span. That performance has generally left Detroit without a spot for Geoff Jenkins, who was the usual DH, especially against right-handers.

As both Harper and Jacobson established themselves throughout the season, DH duties for Baltimore fell more and more often to Ken Singleton, who was … fine. Singleton was almost the picture of a useful hitter, slashing 266/352/407 with 17 homeruns and 88 RBIs. Nothing to complain about, but nothing to love, either. He’s been excellent so far in the postseason.

Edge: Toss up, although if Kaline maintains his level of performance, slides to Detroit.

#Overall

Quantitatively, 6-4 in favor of Baltimore, with one tie. So, very close.

I have to go with Baltimore: they are so good at getting on base, and their pitching is just better. But Detroit really has no weak spots offensively (maybe SS with Davis), and if they can get enough from their pitching staff, they certainly have a shot.

Prediction: Black Sox in 6.

TWIWBL 49.6: The Playoffs! Division Round, Day VI– September 30

By mknn

On October 4, 2023

In 2000 Playoffs, Featured Games, TWIWBL

Two game six’s on tap …

#Detroit Wolverines v New York Gothams, Game 6

Detroit leads, 3-2.

The news on John Hiller was not good, as he will be sidelined for about 5 months with a torn pectoral muscle. Mickey Lolich was added to the playoff roster as Hiller’s replacement.

New York would turn to Gaylord Perry for this must-win contest while Detroit would counter with Gene Conley in their attempt to clinch.

Hank Greenberg would open up the scoring for Detroit in the bottom of the 3rd, singling home Tony Phillips, who had doubled to lead off the inning. Perry would lose the strike zone, walking in not one, but two runs before getting out of the inning. Detroit was up 3-0, one-third of the way through the game.

Perry would last into the 4th, when a 2-out double by Ty Cobb would bring in Juan Marichal from the Gothams bullpen, who was able to end the inning without any damage.

The problem for New York was Conley, who was in full control, scattering 5 hits over 6 innings of work. Conley was relieved after the 7th, and the game remained 3-0 Wolverines as we entered the top of the 9th, with Mike Henneman on the mound to close it out.

Benny Kauff–2-for-3 today and hitting .500 in the postseason–led it off, but whiffed on a pitch on the inside corner. Will Clark foulded out to Oscar Gamble in left. Which meant the Gothams’ season was down to Carl Furillo. A lazy fly ball to Cobb in right later, and we knew the first team to the Whirled Series, the Detroit Wolverines!

Cobb went 4-for-4, but the plaudits need to go to Conley, Lolich, Buddy Napier, and Henneman, who combined on a 6 hit shutout to clinch the series. Mention should also be made of the Gotham’s Marichal, who was roughed up in his first start, but delivered 3 scoreless innings here to keep the game seemingly within reach.

NYG 0 (Perry 0-1) @ DET 3 (Conley 2-1; Henneman 2 Sv; Lolich 1 H; Napier 2 H)
HRs: None.
Box Score

Cobb’s .538 average earned him the MVP award, although a strong argument could made for Hal Newhouser, who finished the series 2-0 with a 0.57 ERA.

#Portland Sea Dogs v Baltimore Black Sox, Game 6

Pascual Pérez‘ recent struggles led Portland to offer Mike Cuellar his first start of the playoffs as they try to finish off Baltimore, whose season rests on the capable right arm of Connie Johnson, 2-0 so far in the postseason.

A bloop single, a walk, a wild pitch, and a sacrifice fly from Kent Hrbek led to Portland’s first run and an RBI double from Gavvy Cravath doubled their lead. Rogers Hornsby singled home Cravath, and the Sea Dogs had staked Cuellar to a 3-0 lead before his first pitch.

Baltimore would come back in the bottom of the 3rd, on RBI singles by Larry Gardner and Curt Blefary and a sacrifice fly from Dan McGann. That tied the game at 3, and got the Sea Dogs’ bullpen up and working. A leadoff double from Bryce Harper chased Cuellar, but Pérez was able to close out the inning cleanly.

Gardner took Pérez deep in the 5th to give the Black Sox a one run lead, but Hornsby sent a pitch from Johnny Sain deep into the night with a runner on, putting Portland back on top.

Mark Melancon came in for the bottom of the 7th and walked pinch-hitter Baby Doll Jacobson and, after a Bobby Wallace sacrifice bunt, retired Gardner. Frank Robinson singled home Jacobson to tie the game and bring in Atlee Hammaker to face Blefary, who fanned. Wade Miller relieved Hammaker and got McGann to ground out to Hornsby at second.

So: 7 innings played, and we are tied at 5 runs each with Baltimore’s season on the line.

Manny Machado has struggled all postseason, but he now has a chance to go down as Black Sox hero, as his homerun in the bottom of the 8th off Miller gave Baltimore a slim advantage.

Joe Beggs was perfect in the 9th, and we were heading to a game seven!

Machado, Gardner, Robinson, and Blefary each had 2 hits for Baltimore, but it will be Machado’s key blast that is most remembered.

POR 5 (Miller 0-1; Melancon 1 B Sv) @ BAL 6 (Beggs 1-0; Sain 1 B Sv)
HRs: POR – Hornsby (3); BAL – Gardner (2), Machado (2).
Box Score

TWIWBL 48.6: The Playoffs! Wild Card Round, Day III – September 18

By mknn

On September 18, 2023

In 2000 Playoffs, Featured Games, TWIWBL

All four series now shift locations. Today is a key day: Portland, Detroit, New York, and Baltimore all hold 2-0 leads, making this pretty much a must-win day for Chicago, Birmingham, Cleveland, and the House of David.

#Portland Sea Dogs @ Chicago American Giants, Game 3

Portland leads, 2-0.

Dizzy Trout (7-5, 4.18) will take the mound for Portland, opposed by Ed Walsh (8-3, 3.26). Walsh is a bit of a wild card for the American Giants, having made only 11 starts during the season, but with Dick Rudolph struggling down the stretch, he’s emerged as a solid choice for a game Chicago knows it has to win.

Walsh worked out of a bases loaded jam in the 3rd, and with Trout only allowing one hit–a single to Freddy Parent–we were scoreless through three innings. We stayed that way until the 5th, when a Joe Mauer single scored Gil Hodges for the game’s first run. Again, Walsh faced a bases-loaded jam, but after whiffing Kent Hrbek, he walked Gavvy Cravath to force in a second run, which also prompted a call to Chicago’s bullpen, bringing in Don Newcombe, who gave up a 2-RBI single to Rogers Hornsby, making it 4-0 in favor of Portland.

Frank Thomas broke up the shutout, knocking home Freddy Parent in the bottom of the 6th. Duffy Lewis followed with a double, and that was it for Trout, who gave way to Mark Melancon. Dick Allen greeted Melancon with a sharp single to right, scoring both Thomas and Lewis, pulling Chicago within a run.

Eddie Collins picked a heckuva time to announce himself: he was hitless in the series until he rocked a Trevor Hoffman slider into the right field seats with Parent on base. Chicago had come all the way back to take a 5-4 lead. Hoffman gave up a further walk and a single, but Elmer Brown came in to prevent any further damage.

That setup the 9th inning Chicago had hoped for all along: AJ Minter on the mound against the lefty dominant lineup of the Sea Dogs. Three up, three down, and Chicago was back in the series led by Parent’s 3 hits and Collins’ key clout.

POR 4 (Hoffman 1-1, 1 B Sv; Melancon 1 H) @ CAG 5 (Sanders 1-0; Minter 1 Sv)
HRs: POR – none; CAG – Collins (1).
Box Score

#Detroit Wolverines @ Birmingham Black Barons, Game 3

Detroit leads, 2-0.

This is an interesting matchup, with Detroit sending Charlie Root (10-6, 3.53 overall, but 5-1, 2.62 since joining the Wolverines) to face Greg Maddux, who overcame some early season struggles to end the season at 6-7, 3.53.

Detroit would score first, as Oscar Gamble and Al Kaline each took Maddux deep in the second inning. Ed Bailey would add a moon shot of his own in the 4th, putting the Wolverines in front, 6-0. A walk and a single chased Maddux, but Sam Streeter was able to get out of the inning without further harm.

With Root only allowing 3 hits through 5 innings, Detroit looked like they were sailing towards a dominant series lead. But Pie Traynor and Bob Nieman led off the 6th with singles, and a double from Hank Aaron scored the first 2 runs of the day for the Black Barons, chasing Root from the game. His repalcement, Justin Verlander, was solid, escaping the inning without allowing more runs despite allowing a walk.

That brought us to the top of the 7th, with the Wolverines leading, 6-2.

A double by Ty Cobb–only the 2nd hit allowed by Streeter–brought in Larry Benton for Birmingham, who allowed an RBI single to Hank Greenberg before escaping the inning. The Wolverines threatened again in the 8th, but a tired Bruce Chen was called on to face Cobb, and induced an inning-ending double play without letting the 5 run deficit get any worse.

But all it did was delay the inevitable, with Detroit going up 3-0 in the series with the 7-2 win. George Davis had 3 hits in support of Detroit’s three long balls, but the real story might be Maddux having very bad timing to have arguably his worst outing of the season.

Both bullpens were excellent with Verlander and John Hiller combining to allow only 2 hits in 4 innings for Detroit and, while hit a little harder, Streeter, Benton, Harley Young, Chen, and Steve Bedrosian held the Wolverines to 1 run over 5 innings.

DET 7 (Root 1-0) @ BBB 2 (Maddux 0-1)
HRs: DET – Gamble (1), Kaline (1), E. Bailey (1); BBB – none.
Box Score

#Cleveland Spiders v New York Gothams, Game 3

New York leads 2-0.

Cleveland will hope Cy Young can slow the Gothams down. The Gothams had a more difficult choice picking between Juan Marichal (13-9, 5.47) and Don Sutton (6-8, 4.94). In the end, they went with Marichal, partially because Sutton was far more used to coming out of the bullpen.

Both teams tweaked their lineups slightly: for Cleveland, they still have been unable to find a way to get Lance Berkman in the starting lineup, preferring to have Kenny Lofton and Tris Speaker back to back at the top of the lineup, but they did replace Sammy Strang at 3B with Jim Gantner. The Gothams’changes were a little more drastic, with George Van Haltren starting in RF and Benny Kauff at DH.

Cleveland’s choices paid immediate dividends: Lofton led off the game with a double and scored on Speaker’s single. Perhaps more importantly for the Spiders, Ron Blomberg picked up his first hit of the series, a comebacker through the middle for a single. Marichal settled down, allowing only one more run despite loading the bases.

The Gothams’ response was immediate: Jimmy Sheckard singled, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Pete Runnels. Despite a Buster Posey double and another wild pitch by Young, the Gothams only managed the single tally, ending the first inning trailing 2-1.

Singles to lead off the 4th by Louis Santop and Arky Vaughan brought in Sutton in relief of Marichal. He shut the door, retiring Gantner, Lofton, and Speaker in succession.

Kauff took Young deep in the 5th to tie the game at 2, but the Cleveland starter closed out the inning. He was chased from the game in the 6th, after giving up 2 hits and a walk to start the inning (Sheckard led off with a hit, but was caught stealing). In came Yordano Ventura, who surrendered a sharp hit to Willie Mays, but Lofton was able to gun down Runnels at the plate to preserve the tie.

Sutton was fantastic, most likely sealing his role as a starter should the Gothams progress, allowing only a hit in just over 3 innings. He was relieved by Steve Howe, who had been erratic all year, but usually effective against lefties. Howe came through here: a routine grounder from Lofton was bobbled by Runnels, but Speaker flew out and Blomberg grounded into a double play.

And from there, things just got more and more tense as the bullpens proved their worth until Mays led off the bottom of the 9th with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Johan Camargo, and scored on a base hit from Will Clark.

The key here for New York was their bullpen, as it has been all year, although there were some different names involved this time: Sutton, Howe, and Robb Nen combined to allow only 2 hits over 6 innings.

On the whole, the managerial choices proved solid: Gantner had a hit and Kauff the key homerun.

CLE 2 (Porter 0-1) @ NYG 3 (Nen 1-0)
HRs: CLE – none; NYG – Kauff (1).
Box Score

#Baltimore Black Sox v Wandering House of David, Game 3

Baltimore leads 2-0.

Baltimore had indicated that Mike Mussina would get the third start, but have opted instead for Connie Johnson, one of the hottest arms in the league. Johnson was 9-5 on the year with a 3.65 ERA, so he’s been pretty stellar throughout. The House of David will counter as planned, with Frank Sullivan (9-10, 4.77).

For Baltimore, Baby Doll Jacobson will get the start in CF in place of Paul Blair. The House of David react to a somewhat desperate situation with Ron Santo and Joe Harris both joining the starting lineup in place of Richie Hebner and Anthony Rizzo, a move questioned by fans, given the choice to give up the platoon advantage.

Baltimore wasted no time: Bobby Wallace led off the game with a triple and scored on a long flyball from Larry Gardner. A homerun from Dan McGann in the top of the second doubled the lead to 2-0.

Sullivan settled down after that, but Johnson was just that much better, striking out 7 over 5 scoreless innings.

Wade Miley relieved Sullivan, but not effectively: two walks and a 3-run homer from Ken Singleton pushed the Black Sox lead to 5-0.

A glimmer of hope for the House of David in the 7th, when Pete Browning took Jim Palmer deep with a man on, cutting the deficit to 5-2. Which is how it ended: the House of David had their chances, but couldn’t come through when it mattered, and now face the steepest of uphill climbs.

McGann had 3 hits for Baltimore; Ryne Sandberg and Dan Ford 2 each for the House of David.

BAL 5 (Johnson 1-0; Groom 2 Sv; Beggs 1 H) @ HOD 2 (Sullivan 0-1)
HRs: BAL – McGann (1), Singleton (2); HoD – Browning (2).
Box Score

TWIWBL 44.0: Series XXXVI Notes

By mknn

On August 4, 2023

In TWIWBL

September 5

Awards

Gavvy Cravath won the WBL Batter of the Month for August, marking a stunning debut month for the Portland Sea Dogs after being acquired from the Philadelphia Stars. Cravath hit .370 with 11 homers and 19 RBIs during the month.

The Pitcher of the Month was Andy Pettite, 4-0 with his new club after being obtained from the Kansas City Monarchs. Pettitte put up a 2.00 ERA for the Birmingham Black Barons in August.

Baltimore’s Curt Blefary was named the WBL Player of the Week, hitting .588 with 4 homeruns and 10 RBI’s.

Playoff Picture

And then there were eight … only eight games remain in the opening season of the WBL.

And only a single playoff spot is secured, that going to the Baltimore Black Sox, who lead the Chicago American Giants by 2 games in the Cum Posey Division, but whose .589 winning percentage is the best in the league. Chicago–with the second best record in the league–is all but guaranteed a spot in the postseason as well.

And then it starts to get flaky.

In the Bill James Division, the Detroit Wolverines and the New York Gothams are tied for first, with the Wandering House of David only 3 games behind. Right now, all three teams make the postseason.

Over in the Marvin Miller Division, Portland and the Cinderalla-story Birmingham Black Barons are tied for first, with both in playoff spots now as well.

And that leaves the shocker, where in the Cum Posey Division, the Cleveland Spiders have ridden a 9-1 record in their last 10 games to extend their lead over the New York Black Yankees to 5 games … leaving the Black Yankees–and presumptive league MVP Babe Ruth–out of the postseason picture. This is of their own doing, as the Black Yankees were swept by the lowly Memphis Red Sox in Series XXXVI.

The Brooklyn Royal Giants have overtaken the Houston Colt 45’s, but the Royal Giants are 4 games out of the playoffs and essentially have to win out to have a shot. They host Memphis in Series XXXVII, so there’s hope (but see above for Memphis’ sudden discovery of how to win ball games).

The Spiders and the Black Yankees both face potentially weaker opponents in this series, with Cleveland visiting the San Francisco Sea Lions and the Los Angeles Angels making the cross-country trip to ply the Black Yankees.

Many of the rest of these teams will beat up each other: Detroit hosts Birmingham, the House of David host the Colt 45’s and Chicago will visit Portland.

Performance

Batters

Only four players have an OPS above the magic 1.000 line: Babe Ruth (1.095), Ron Blomberg (1.065), Reggie Jackson (1.022), and Joe Jackson (1.005).

Again we’re omitting the two players tied for second with 12 triples, Alejandro Oms of the Miami Cuban Giants and Josh Gibson of the Homestead Grays, but we’re also not including the Ottawa Mounties‘ Tim Raines, second in the league in SB with 91.

Ty Cobb has regained the lead in BA as Pete Browning has hit a bit of a–for him–cold streak. The batting crown should come down to those 2, with Cleveland’s Ron Blomberg having a shot as well. Ruth looks to have the other 2 legs of the Triple Crown pretty well nailed down.

Ron Blomberg (CLE). 341/416/649. 41 HR.
Pete Browning (HOD). 342/379/614.
Ty Cobb (DET). 344/384/551. 179 H.
Eddie Collins (CAG). 310/409/507. 6.2 WAR.
Mike Fiore (CAG). 235/395/385. 102 BB.
Hank Greenberg (DET). 320/378/601. 44 2B.
Rickey Henderson (SFS). 272/400/357. 102 BB, 93 SB.
Joe Jackson (CAG). 335/416/588. 106 R.
Reggie Jackson (SFS). 318/428/594.
Willie Mays (NYG). 330/393/534. 180 H.
Stan Musial (KCM). 325/389/573. 47 2B.
Doug Rader (LAA). 333/395/535. 128 RBI.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 317/433/663. 44 HR, 127 RBI, 119 R, 104 BB, 7.7 WAR.
Louis Santop (CLE). 306/336/468. 14 3B.

Pitchers

Starters

We’re looking at, in all likelihood, a maximum of 2 starts left for the starters, so it feels like 17 or 18 wins will lead the league this year.

Andy Pettitte‘s second half of the season has been stunning. Not only does he look to have the ERA crown wrapped up, his ERA is now sub-3.00, an incredible accomplishment in this league. Only five starters have ERA’s below 3.50: in addition to Jack Taylor, whose stats are below, Baltimore’s Bill Byrd (3.33), Brooklyn’s Frank Knauss (3.39), and Portland’s Walter Johnson (3.44).

Gerrit Cole (LAA). 15-9, 4.30.
Lefty Grove (SFS). 13-7, 3.68. 196 K.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 7-12, 4.51. 182 K.
Pat Malone (CLE). 16-8, 3.96.
Christy Mathewson (NYG). 16-8, 3.54. 198 IP.
Alejandro Peña (BBB). 12-9, 3.69. 5.0 WAR, 3.41 FIP.
Andy Pettitte (KAN/BBB). 15-4, 2.95.
Eddie Plank (SFS). 12-7, 3.96. 3.45 FIP.
Charlie Root (SFS/DET). 9-6, 3.57. 1.08 WHIP.
Jack Taylor (HOD). 15-9, 3.22. 1.13 WHIP.
Cy Young (CLE). 11-9, 4.47. 197 IP, 4.7 WAR.

Relievers

35 IP for rate stats.

Terry Adams (CLE). 2-6, 2.81. 35 Sv.
Mike Henneman (DET). 2-6, 4.40. 37 Sv.
* Sean Marshall (BAL). 5-0, 1.79. 1 Sv, 8 H.
AJ Minter (CAG). 1-0, 2.75. 28 Sv. 0.97 WHIP, 2.90 FIP.
Buddy Napier (DET). 1-1, 2.75. 2 Sv, 8 H. 0.97 WHIP.
Mike Norris (NYG). 4-3, 1.44. 8 Sv, 14 H.
Ron Reed (PHI/CLE). 0-6, 4.50. 3 Sv, 17 H.
Ron Robinson (SFS). 6-5, 4.03. 1 Sv, 17 H.
Brian Wilson (NYG). 1-0, 1.83. 27 S, 1 H. 2.53 FIP.

* On Disabled List.

Streaks

Baltimore’s Larry Gardner heads into the final 8 games with a 19 game hitting streak (the league record is Babe Ruth’s 23). His teammate, Baby Doll Jacobson, has driven in a run in 7 straight games. While Mike Trout‘s teammate, Bobby Grich, had his consecutive games on base streak ended at 32, Trout has a 29 game run of his own.

Brian Wilson of the New York Gothams has 27 saves on the season, having converted 25 straight. More impressively to me, Cleveland’s Bill Steen hasn’t allowed a run in 19 innings, putting him only 5 behind the league record.

Series XXVI Results

Series XXVI Sweeps

Chicago over Kansas City
Cleveland over Philadelphia
Detroit over Indianapolis
Memphis over New York Black Yankees

Taking Three Out of Four in Series XXVI

Birmingham over Houston
Brooklyn over Portland
New York Gothams over Homestead
Miami over House of David

Series Splits in Series XXVI

Ottawa @ Baltimore
San Francisco @ Los Angeles